Garden Checklist for July
Here's our suggested listing of garden tasks for July:
•Renovate established strawberry beds by July 15.
•For best quality, harvest vegetables and herbs in the morning just after the dew dries.
•Wear loose, light clothing and a hat; drink plenty of water; and take frequent breaks when gardening during hot weather. Don't forget the sunscreen, too.
•Do not smoke in the garden; tomatoes, peppers and eggplant can be infected by tobacco mosaic virus via cigarette smoke.
•Pinch established chrysanthemums and asters to develop fuller and stockier plants early in the month.
•Be on the lookout for Mexican bean beetles, cucumber beetles, and leafhoppers. Control these pests as soon as they appear.
•Remove infected leaves from plants as soon as you find them.
•Cut back and fertilize delphinium and phlox to encourage a second flush of blossoms.
•Transplant new chrysanthemum plants.
•Start a compost pile.
•Side-dress rhubarb with composted manure or humus from the compost pile.
•Plant seeds of early cabbage, ornamental kale, and broccoli in cell packs early in the month for transplanting to the fall garden in early August.
•Cabbage worms can be safely controlled with Bt.
•Continue pulling weeds. Put them into the compost pile.
•Thoroughly water your newly planted trees and shrubs.
•Use live traps to control rabbits and woodchucks. Make sure you have a plan for what to do with them after you catch them.
•As perennials finish blooming, cut off the blooms and fertilize the plants.
•Apply mulches around shrubs, perennials and annuals to maintain soil moisture and an even soil temperature.
•Prune sucker growth and water sprouts from trees.
•Prop branches of heavily loaded fruit trees.
•Make another planting of snap beans, beets, cucumbers, and zucchini.
•Harvest vegetables regularly for continued production.
•Remove spent flowers from annual flowers to keep them flowering.
•Divide clumps of crowded iris and Oriental poppies.
•Continue to mow the lawn at 2-1/2 inches.
•Order perennials for planting in September.
•Water the lawn and garden deeply or don't water at all.
•Don't forget the hanging baskets when you water your garden.
•Fertilize your roses.
•Apply all pesticides according to label directions.
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Flowering Cabbage and Kale
Tired of mums and pansies for a vibrant fall garden? Then try some amazingly colorful kales or flowering cabbage. Not only are they used for outstanding color in the landscape, but they serve as garnishes or as a bright, edible underlay for salads. Consider using ornamental kales for long-lasting and unusual cut flowers for the fall holiday season.
To grow any of the ornamental kales to perfection, timing needs to be precise. Coloration doesn't begin until night temperatures regularly drop below 60 degrees F. and full coloration takes three to four weeks. Setting transplants in the garden in August is usually the correct timing for our area. The plants need to be almost full grown when coloring time arrives.
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Little Leaf Linden
Little Leaf Linden is an excellent tree for just about anywhere. It can even be pruned into hedges. Lindens transplants easily; prefer a moist, well-drained, fertile soil; full sun; are pH adaptable; quite pollution tolerant; and are one of the best street and city trees available. Lindens bloom in late June or early July with yellowish, spicy fragrant flowers.
Greenspire is an excellent cultivar recommended by the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association. It is ideal for uniform plantings such as in median strips and along streets. Growth is perfectly straight without pruning or staking.
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Spider Mites
A hot, dry summer can mean spider mite problems for many of our landscape and garden plants. Spider mites feed on the leaves of nearly all vegetables, flowers, trees and shrubs. They use piercing-sucking mouthparts to puncture the plant tissue and feed on the liquid within the cells. In light infestations, the foliage will appear to be speckled with very tiny yellowish-green spots. If the population of mites increases, the damage can become severe enough to turn the foliage entirely greenish-yellow and eventually tan or brown. Heavily infested plants often drop their leaves. Close examination of infested foliage may reveal very fine webbing produced by the mites.
Spider mites are tiny and difficult to see with the naked eye on the plant. A convenient detection technique is to hold a sheet of white paper under a branch and then shake or tap the branch against the paper. The mites, if present, will show up as tiny, slow-moving specks on the paper.
Several miticides (pesticides that control mites) are available for mite control. Spraying to reduce mite numbers is advised when plants show the characteristic damage described above, and the white-sheet-of-paper technique turns up a large number of mites (a dozen or more on each sheet). Sprays available to homeowners include insecticidal soap, horticulture oil for summer use, and others. Be sure spider mites are listed on the label of the product you purchase. Read and follow the label directions exactly.
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Peter Cottontail in the Vegetable Garden
Rabbits will devour a wide variety of plant material. Numerous flowers and vegetables are enjoyed during spring and summer. In the vegetable garden, corn, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers are about the only things safe from a rabbits clipping teeth. A rabbit's tastes (like ours) varies considerably by region and season. Thus a planting of certain flowers like marigolds may not be a successful rabbit control. In fact, rabbits have been known to dine on marigold flowers. In the fall and winter, woody plants become the targeted food and are gnawed around the base and often destroyed. Young trees are preferred over older trees because of their smooth, thin bark.
One of the best ways to protect a backyard garden is to put up a fence. A 2-foot-tall chicken wire fence with the bottom tight against the ground or buried a few inches in the ground provides excellent rabbit and mouse control. The mesh should be 1 inch or smaller to prevent young rabbits from going through. A fence may seem costly, however with proper care it will last many years and provide relief from the constant aggravation of damage. Inexpensive chicken wire can be replaced every few years. Cylinders of hardware cloth placed around trees and shrubs will protect valuable landscape plants. The cylinders should extend higher than a rabbit's reach while standing on the expected snow depth, and positioned 1 to 2 inches out from the tree trunk. Commercial tree guards or tree wraps are other alternatives.
An often overlooked form of natural control is changing the rabbits' habitat. Remove brush or stone piles, weed patches, junk, and other debris where rabbits live and hide. This is especially effective in suburban areas where fewer suitable habitats are likely to be available. Encouraging the rabbit's natural enemies may aid in reducing rabbit populations and damage. Hawks, owls, snakes, and even the family dog or cat can be effective predators on young rabbits.
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Watering the Lawn
Homeowners have two options for lawn care when it comes to hot, dry weather. One is to simply allow the turf to go dormant. The other alternative is to properly water the lawn to maintain green turf throughout the dry spell.
Kentucky bluegrass, the most widely planted turfgrass, can survive extended periods of drought by going dormant. Dormancy is a natural survival mechanism for cool season turfgrasses. The foliage ceases growth, wilts, and turns brown as the turfgrass plant enters dormancy. While the foliage is dead, the crowns and roots remain alive. The maximum length of this dormant period varies from lawn to lawn and is largely dependent upon the condition of the turf.
Most healthy lawns can survive in a dormant state for 4 to 6 weeks without rainfall or irrigation. However, lawns that have been damaged by insects or have excessive amounts of thatch or that are growing in poor soils may be killed by several weeks of hot, dry weather. Healthy lawns that have been allowed to go dormant should recover when the turf receives sufficient water. However, recovery is often slow. It may take 2 to 8 weeks for the grass to fully green up.
After 4 to 6 weeks of dry conditions, dormant turf should be watered to prevent possible drought damage. Apply 1/2 to 3/4 inches of water in one thorough irrigation. This amount of water will not cause the turf to green up but will provide moisture to help the crown and root system survive. If the dry weather persists, water dormant turf with 1/2 to 3/4 inches of water every two weeks. Following the onset of favorable moisture conditions, either through rainfall or irrigation, the turf will develop new leaves and begin to grow actively.
Once you begin to water a lawn, it should be continued throughout the dry period. It is more stressful for the turf to begin a watering program and then stop because the water bill was too expensive than it would have been to have gone dormant naturally. Applying 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water each week to a large lawn will require a large amount of time (unless you have an automatic sprinkler system) and water. An application of 1 inch of water to 1,000 square feet of lawn requires 640 gallons of water.
Water turf early in the morning (4 to 8 a.m.). Winds are generally light and temperatures cool so very little water is lost through evaporation. Watering at midday is not harmful (as many people think), but it is less efficient because evaporation is often high and strong winds may cause uneven water distribution.
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Deadheading Perennials
If your garden is looking overgrown and messy, it is probably time to do some deadheading and trimming back. Deadheading is the practice of removing spent flower heads just above a node. This may help a plant to rebloom, help maintain a continuous bloom, or just improve the overall appearance of the plant. Cut just above a node to remove individual spent flowers from plants that bloom over a period of time. New flowers will grow from the leaf axils at the node.
Shape plants that bloom in a single flush into a rounded form after they have bloomed. Their neat, structured appearance anchors the garden while later-blooming plants fill out and flower. Cut back some leggy plants to the ground after they have bloomed. They will produce a compact mound of foliage in a couple of weeks.
Some perennials should not be deadheaded because their seed heads are of winter interest. These include Japanese anemone, Blue mist shrub, Snakeroot, Orphanage plant, Russian sage, Black-eyed Susan, Sedum, and Ornamental Grasses.
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Renovating Strawberries
June-bearing strawberry beds in the home garden can be maintained for several years if properly renovated. Renovation thins beds and invigorates the remaining plants. If too many plants are kept in the bed they will yield small berries that are difficult to find under the dense foliage.
Renovation begins just after the last harvest. Remove weeds, narrow rows to 6-12 inches and thin plants to 3-4 inches apart. Select strong runner (daughter) plants, and remove mother plants when they are 3-4 years old. Clip or mow leaves off and fertilize plants with about 5 pounds of 10-10-10 per 100 feet of row. Irrigate the beds during extended dry periods.
Proper renovation should produce an abundance of large berries for at least 3 years. Renovation is not recommended for day-neutral strawberries, which will need to be replaced every third year.
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Squash Vine Borer
Squash vine borers attack squash, zucchini, pumpkins and gourds, but usually not cucumbers and melons. The adult is a wasp-like moth, active during the daytime, and resting on leaves in the evening. In June, the moth will lay eggs on the lower 3 feet of the plant stems. After hatching, the larvae feed inside the stems causing them to wilt and collapse. The hole where the borer enters the stem shows sawdust-like frass exuding from it.
Several steps can be taken to control Squash vine borers. Catch and destroy the moths in the evening or early morning when they are resting on the leaves. Hand-pick eggs before they hatch. Stems can be covered with a barrier, such as strips of nylon stockings, to prevent egg laying. Borers can be removed from vines, if detected early, before much damage occurs. When holes are detected, slit the stem length-wise with a fine sharp knife, remove the borer(s), then cover the wounded stem with moist soil to promote root formation. For more info, see Extension Fact Sheet HYG-2153-09 Squash Vine Borer.
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Euonymus Scale
Scales are small, sucking insects that have a protective covering of waxy material. They spend almost their entire life motionless, but feed vigorously on the twigs, branches and leaves of their host. The euonymus scale is one of the most difficult to control, because it multiplies so rapidly. It attacks most species of euonymus and may occur on Pachysandra. Whole plants often become whitened in appearance as a result of a heavy male population and leaves may drop off from heavy feeding. Plants growing close to buildings seem hardest hit by this insect.
Euonymus scales overwinter as full-grown, fertilized, grayish females. Eggs are deposited in the spring beneath the female scale and hatch in late May to early June. The young crawlers move a short distance and then settle down to begin feeding. A second generation develops by mid to late July. Control consists of a dormant oil in spring and treatments of a suitable insecticide every 10 days from late May through late June. Control is difficult because the scale is only vulnerable to the insecticide while in the crawler stage. For more info see OSU Extension Bulletin 504 "Insect and Mite Control on Woody Ornamentals and Herbaceous Perennials."
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Fall Vegetable Garden
Do wilting cucumbers and riddled bean leaves have you feeling like it's time to turn the garden under and start up again next year? If so, you're going to miss out on one of the most satisfying times of the year to work in the garden is the fall. September and October bring cooler temp-eratures and lower humidity that can revive and invigorate even the most droopy gardener. And, the fall season will be most rewarding if you're harvesting crops of greens and beans, rather than just putting dead plants into your compost pile.
August is planting time for the fall garden. Those dead cucumber and zucchini crops can be planted from seed the first week of the month. And while you're out in the garden, plant another row or two of snap beans, carrots and peas. I know we're pushing the warm-season crops a little, but a killing frost hits our area the third week of October on average. This gives plenty of time for the squashes and cukes to form. And, with a little protection from the cold, who knows how long the cool-season (frost-hardy) crops might last into November?
Carrots that mature in the fall develop a sweeter taste than those harvested in the summer. And, if you mulch them after the ground freezes, they can be harvested throughout the winter. They will be sweetest of all next spring before they begin to grow again.
Other crops that can be planted from seeds before mid-August are beets, leaf lettuce, turnips, bok choy, Chinese cabbage, mustards, and oriental or daikon radishes. Radishes and spinach can be planted in early September. Finally, as you're planting your spring flowering bulbs in early October, remember to set out some garlic cloves, shallots and walking onions.
After planting your seeds, you'll need to be careful to keep the soil moist until the seeds sprout. Hot August days dry the soil quickly and will kill your tender sprouts unless you give them a drink every day or two until they get established. Experienced gardeners cover the seed beds with boards, burlap bags, row cover fabric or corn stalks to keep the soil surface moist. The seedbed is checked daily and these are removed (the row cover fabric can be left in place) as soon as the seedlings emerge through the soil.
Continue to keep a watchful eye on insect pests. Seedbeds covered with row cover fabric will eliminate the threat of aphids, cucumber beetles and Mexican bean beetles until the plants are beginning to produce.
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Eating Fruits of Ornamental Trees
Ornamental trees, such as crabapples and chokecherries, are planted in the home landscape for their flowers or colorful foliage. While chiefly ornamental, these trees also produce fruit resembling those on fruit trees. As the fruit matures, questions concerning their edibility often arise.
Fruit from ornamentals, such as crabapples and chokecherries, are not poisonous and can be eaten. In many cases, however, it's not worth the effort. The fruit of many ornamentals is sour or bitter. Some have very small fruit with little flesh or pulp. Others make excellent jellies and preserves. If you decide not to harvest the fruit, they won't be wasted. Birds and other wildlife will eagerly eat the fruit.
The crabapple is an example of a common ornamental that also produces edible fruit. Apples and crabapples are differentiated strictly on the size of their fruit. Crabapples are defined as those varieties with fruit 2 inches or less in diameter. Those with larger fruit are apples. The fruit on crabapples vary from yellow to orange to bright red. Some crabapple varieties color and ripen in August, others mature in the fall. (The colorful, persistent fruit of many of the newer crabapple varieties are actually an important ornamental characteristic.) While all crabapple fruit can be used in making jellies and preserves, large-fruited varieties, such as 'Whitney' and 'Chestnut' are the best.
A word of caution. If you are uncertain of the identity of a tree or shrub, don't eat the fruit. It's better to be safe than sorry.
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Mid-summer Rose Care
Roses are popular garden plants that provide season-long beauty. However, they also require season-long attention. Adequate water during dry periods is essential for continuous bloom. Roses require at least an inch of water per week. A good mulch layer around the plants will help retain soil moisture. Water roses early in the day and avoid wetting the foliage. Black spot, a serious foliage disease of roses, is spread by water splashing on the leaves.
It is important to continually remove spent blooms from roses. This procedure, known as "dead heading" is important to encourage continuous blooming. Spent blooms left on the plant may form seed pods, called hips. Seed pod formation requires a great deal of the plant's energy and slows flower production. To dead-head, remove the flower by making a cut at a 45 degree angle just above a 5-leaflet leaf on the stem. Ideally this should be an outward-facing leaf. Make sure the high side of the diagonal cut is on the side of the stem.
If your roses bloom only once a year, such as some of the shrub or antique roses, remove the spent blooms immediately after they are finished blooming.
Roses can be fertilized in July. This should be the last fertilizer application for the season. Late summer fertilization may stimulate new growth and delay hardening of the wood before winter. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of 5-10-5 or 12-12-12 around each plant and water it in well.
Continue inspecting roses for foliar diseases, such as blackspot and powdery mildew. These fungal diseases can severely defoliate and weaken the plant. Weak plants may suffer considerable winter injury or die. A labelled fungicide should be applied every 7 to 14 days to insure good protection from blackspot. Read and follow the label directions exactly.
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Harvesting and Curing Onions and Garlic
Harvest onions when the tops have fallen over and dried. On sunny, breezy days, onions may be pulled and left in the garden for a day or two to dry before they are taken to a curing area. Curing must take place for the onions to be stored for any length of time.
Cure onions by placing them in a warm, well-ventilated area until the necks are thoroughly dry. With warm temperatures, good air circulation and low humidity, curing should be completed within two weeks after harvest. Onions are best stored in a cool moderately dry area in ventilated containers.
Garlic bulbs may be harvested when the tops start to dry. This is usually in July in our area. Bulbs should be dug up rather than pulled to avoid stem injury. Allow the tops to dry. After the bulbs have dried, the tops and roots can be removed with shears to within an inch of the bulbs. It is essential that the garlic be well cured before going into storage.
The mature bulbs are best stored at 32 degrees F. Garlic stores well under a wide range of temperatures, but sprouts are produced most quickly at temperatures at or above 40 degrees F. The humidity in storage should be near 65 to 70 percent at all times to discourage mold development and root formation. Cloves should keep for six to seven months.
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Wilting Cucumbers
Your cucumber plants that suddenly wilt and fail to revive upon watering have bacterial wilt disease. Unfortunately, there is no cure. Pull the plants and put them in the compost pile. Then, work up the area, add some compost or well-rotted manure and plant some more cucumber seeds. There is plenty of time remaining in the season for a nice crop of cucumbers if seeds are planted as late as the end of July.
Prevention of this problem is based on the control of the spotted and striped cucumber beetles. These are about one-fourth inch long yellow beetles with black spots or stripes. They can be found on or under the leaves and around the flowers of cucumber and cantaloupe plants. They'll begin feeding on the plants as soon as they break the soil. Gardeners commonly dust or spray cucumbers and cantaloupes with Sevin weekly to control the pest. If you prefer an organic pesticide, try Pyganic. Follow label directions exactly when you're using any pesticide.
If you don't want to use pesticides at all, keep the plants covered with row cover fabric. This light weight netting, allows air, water and sunlight to penetrate, but excludes flying insects. You may need to remove the fabric when the plants flower to allow bees to pollinate, but check first to see if fruits are forming under the fabric. We've had this happen in our demonstration garden. It's available through mail order seed companies and garden supply houses and can be found locally at some of the larger garden centers.
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Mowing the Lawn
Sound mowing practices are necessary to obtain a good quality lawn. This is especially true during the summer months. Improper mowing during periods of drought and high temperatures may seriously damage turf grass. Kentucky bluegrass lawns should be mowed at a height of 3 to 3 1/2 inches during the summer months. During the cool weather of spring and fall, bluegrass lawns should be mowed at a height of 2 to 2 1/2 inches. The additional height during summer shades and cools the crowns of the plants. During hot weather, the temperature near the crown area of short-mowed grass may be 20 degrees or more above the air temperature. Extremely high temperatures at the crowns may kill the turfgrass plants.
When mowing the lawn, never remove more than 1/3 of the total leaf area at any one time. Removing more than 1/3 the blade height shocks the grass plant and reduces its ability to withstand additional environmental stresses.
Mow only in the cool of the morning or evening. Mowing at midday may place additional stress on the turf and may also cause heat stress related problems for the person mowing the lawn.
Don't forget to sharpen the mower blade. Grass leaves cut by a dull blade are torn and bruised and suffer greater water loss than a lawn cut with a sharp blade.
And finally, dormant lawns (those that have turned brown) should not be mowed. The pedestrian and vehicular traffic can damage and kill dormant turf. Grass that is still growing should be properly mowed following the recommended procedures above.
The source for the information in this teletip was Iowa State University's Horticulture and Home Pest Newsletter.
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Pesticides
Pesticides are developed to help protect plants from such foes as insect pests, diseases, and weeds. However, when improperly applied, pesticides can hurt the plants they are intended to help. To avoid damage to your plants and to you, read the product label thoroughly, preferably before you buy, but certainly before you apply the chemical. Make sure the plant you want to treat, as well as the pest you want to control, are listed on the label.
Always apply only at the indicated rate. Pesticides applied at too high a dose or in combination with certain other chemicals can injure or even kill your plants. Weather conditions can also cause pesticides to be harmful. Don't spray during hot, sunny weather when temperatures are above 90 degrees F. Never spraying on windy days to avoid drift onto non-target plants, including those on neighboring properties. Avoid spraying in very humid weather or late in the day when foliage will remain wet for long periods. Also, be sure that plants are not wilted from lack of water when applying pesticides, as dry plants are more susceptible to damage.
The proper precautions when applying pesticides will go a long way to achieving the desired results.
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Tomato Woes
Of all the vegetables grown in the home garden, tomatoes seem to be most affected by environmental factors that can result in odd shapes, markings and coloration. One of these conditions is referred to as catfacing. Catfacing is a malformation and scarring of the fruit usually associated with the blossom end. Symptoms can range from a slight overlapping or folded appearance of the surface to serious deformity. It results from a disturbance during initial fruit development at blossoming, such as cool temperatures and low light, and call also be caused by chemical injury.
■Growth cracks occur when environmental conditions encourage rapid growth during ripening. Drought followed by heavy rain or watering can promote cracking. Cracking is more severe during hot weather. Tomatoes are most susceptible to cracking when they have reached full size and begin to change color. Some cultivars crack more easily than others. Deep cracks may allow for decay organisms to enter and cause rot. Shallow cracks may heal over, but may rupture if fruits are roughly handled during harvest.
■Sunscald occurs when tomatoes are exposed to direct sun during hot weather. On green and ripening fruit, a light patch develops which blisters and finally becomes slightly sunken and grayish white, with a paper-like surface. Sunscald is most prevalent on cultivars with sparse foliage and on staked plants that have lost foliage due to leaf blights or pruning. Tomatoes are still edible if the damaged areas are removed. However, sometimes decay organisms invade the damaged area as with growth cracks.
■"Early blight", contrary to its name, causes the greatest injury after tomato fruit production begins. First symptoms appear on older leaves and consist of small brown or black spots which enlarge, forming concentric rings or a 'bulls eye' appearance. Stem and fruit lesions also occur. Concentric markings at the stem end is common. For more information read OSU Extension Fact Sheet HYG-3101-95 "Early Blight of Potato and Tomato"
■Septoria Leaf Spot affects tomato foliage only. Small, water- soaked brown or gray spots appear, scattered over the leaves. When leaves are heavily infected, they drop prematurely and tomato fruits are more susceptible to sunscald. For more information read OSU Extension Fact Sheet HYG-3112-96 "Septoria Leaf Spot of Tomatoes"
For more information read OSU Extension Fact Sheet HYG-3120-96 "Bacterial Spot, Bacterial Speck, and Canker of Tomatoes."
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Harvesting Vegetables
Vegetables such as zucchini, cucumbers, and snap beans will continue to produce if they are harvested at peak ripeness and not left to over mature. If fruits are left on the plant, hormones are produced that slow down the development of new blossoms. The plant redirects all its energy toward producing seed within the mature fruits.
Zucchini and other summer squash can be picked when only 3 inches long and steamed or grilled whole (sometimes with the blossom still attached). Snap beans can also be harvested when the size of a pencil. So check the garden every couple of days and enjoy the vegetables when they are young and succulent.
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Cherries
If you have cherry trees in your yard, you may already be enjoying the fruits of your labor. Cherries are the first of the tree fruits grown in Ohio to reach maturity. Cherries should be left on the tree until they develop full color, and become juicy and full-flavored. They will not continue to mature once harvested, so don't pick too early.
The problem with waiting for the cherries to ripen, is that the birds are not so particular regarding fruit quality and flavor. Cherry trees will require protection from the marauding feathered competition. Readily available bird netting is usually sufficiently effective.
If you have a sweet cherry tree that is of bearing age but not producing any fruit yet, remember that sweet cherries require a pollinator. Sweet cherries are self-unfruitful and require another cherry of a different cultivar to set fruit. The recommended sweet cherry pollinators for Ohio are 'Van', 'Hedelfingen', 'Black Tartarian', and 'Rainer'.
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Salsa
Although many gardeners savor the taste of their vegetables eaten au naturel fresh from the garden, usually vegetables are combined with other garden companions to produce a side-dish or even the main coarse of a meal. The growing popularity of Southwester and Mexican cuisine has brought salsa to more tables than ever before. Americans now consume more salsa annually than they do ketchup. There is really something about salsa you prepare yourself from ingredients you grew in your own garden.
What goes into salsa? While the individual ingredients vary (which can result in your own special "secret recipe" salsa), the vegetable basics include tomatoes, onions, cilantro, parsley, basil, and tomatillos. Tomatillos are small members of the tomato family. They are easy to grow, and their special tart flavor and texture really "make" a salsa. Toma Verde is an excellent tomatillo variety to grow for salsa. The small, ping-pong ball size fruits forms inside a papery husk that splits when the fruit turns yellow and ripens. For salsa, however, harvest tomatillos when they are still green. Remove and discard the husk before chopping or running them through the blender. This information provided by the National Garden Bureau.
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Soil Test
Soil fertility plays an important role in growing healthy and attractive lawns, flowers and vegetable gardens. But, it si only one factor. Others are sunlight, water, growing conditions and plant selection and placement. Many times inexperienced gardeners think that these other factors can be corrected by adding more fertilizer. Not true! Plants do need nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and others that are taken up by their roots. When these are not present in adequate amounts, plant growth will suffer. On the other hand, when these nutrients are present in high amounts due to over fertilization, plant growth will also suffer. This is becoming an increasingly common problem. So, it's a good idea to know the fertility level you're starting with before adding fertilizer. Lime influences how well the nutrients dissolve to become available for plants. It should never be added except on the basis of a soil test result.
Soil tests can be performed at any time of the year and we recommend that you perform a test every three years.
For soil testing,we recommend the University of Massachusetts Soil Lab. The report will tell you how much lime, if any, and fertilizer is needed to provide the right amount of nutrients for your plants.
Separate samples are required for lawns, flower beds, vegetable gardens and so forth. Gardeners consider this money well spent.
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Dill
Dill can be situated along the garden perimeter to attract bees or used as a backdrop for shorter plants. Dill also encourages beneficial insects. Wherever you place dill, be sure to pick a permanent spot; the plant is self-seeding, and the chances are good that new plants will shoot up every year if you let the flowers go to seed. Consider a protected location; wind can destroy the tall stalks.
Dill has a dominant personality and a well-rounded tang. The feathery leaves are used fresh in salads and as garnishes. The seeds of the plant have a stronger flavor and are used whole or ground in longer-cooking recipes. Dill is delicious with fish (especially salmon), lamb, pork, poultry, cheese, cream, eggs, and vegetables to mention a few. And, of course, dill is an essential ingredient for - what else- dill pickles.
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Plants in Containers
If you are growing annual flowering plants or vegetables in containers and hanging baskets, be sure to monitor their moisture level closely. Plants in containers have a confined area from which to draw water, and the containers will dry out more rapidly than garden beds. Unglazed clay containers especially should be watched, since they lose water by evaporation through the sides of the pot, in addition to the top of the soil and by plant use.
Also keep in mind that the location of the container will make a difference. Containers in the shade won't need to be watered as frequently as containers in full sun. If a container is located under an overhang, it will not receive the rainfall that a container in an exposed location will. Don't water on a fixed schedule, rather check each container daily and water when necessary.
Finally, it's best if outdoor containers do not sit in saucers. However, if you are trying to protect deck or porch flooring from water stains, be sure to empty the saucer after watering or after it rains so water can drain freely from the container.
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Weather-related Garden Problems
Not all garden problems can be blamed on insects, plant diseases and poor growing conditions. The weather has a definite impact on our harvests! The following are some common, weather-related disorders.
Tomatoes and peppers may fail to set fruit when it's either too hot or too cold. Dry weather, too, may result in poor pollination of the flowers and cause flowers to drop from the plant without setting fruit. Blossom drop on tomatoes may occur when night temperatures are below 55 or above 75 degrees.
Cucumbers develop a bitter taste when they're subjected to hot, drought conditions. Watering your plants deeply once a week during dry periods will help both of the first two disorders.
Tomatoes develop blossom-end rot, brown or black rotten areas on the blossom end of the fruit, during dry summers. To control this problem, mulch your tomatoes and water them deeply during dry periods to maintain a uniform soil moisture level. And, avoid over fertilizing with nitrogen. Blossom end rot is usually seen of the first few fruits of the season. As the plant slows in its growth, the tomatoes will ripen normally.
Fruits of tomatoes and peppers can get scalded by the sun when the temperature is high. Areas on fruits that have been exposed to too much sun often collapse to form sunken, wrinkled areas that are inedible. Prune your tomatoes carefully so that as few leaves as possible are removed. Leaves will help shade the fruit and reduce the likelihood of sun scald.
Finally, your tomatoes may develop cracks on the stem end of the fruit. Heavy rainfall or irrigation after a long, dry period encourages this problem. Large-fruited varieties, such as Beefsteak, are more likely to develop cracks than smaller fruited types. Mulching to maintain a uniform soil moisture level will reduce the cracking.
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Galls
Homeowners are frequently quite alarmed at the sight of strange-looking growths on the twigs and leaves of their trees or shrubs. Oak trees often look like they have warts on their leaves. These are actually galls and are made of plant cells which have been caused to divide rapidly by secretions of insects and mites. Often times, the insect or mite deposits its eggs in the rapidly-growing plant tissue. Galls are very common on oaks, maples, hackberries, elms and willows. In most cases, little damage is caused to the tree. It's probably best to just tolerate the situation, because control requires precise timing to match the time when the gall-causing pest is on the plant. A realistic approach is to keep the plant in the best health possible by proper fertilization, watering, aeration, pruning and disease control.
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Potted Plants
If you are growing annual flowering plants or vegetables in containers and hanging baskets, be sure to monitor their moisture level closely. Plants in containers have a confined area from which to draw water, and the containers will dry out more rapidly than garden beds. Unglazed clay containers especially should be watched, since they lose water by evaporation through the sides of the pot, in addition to the top of the soil and by plant use.
Also keep in mind that the location of the container will make a difference. Containers in the shade won't need to be watered as frequently as containers in full sun. If a container is located under an overhang, it will not receive the rainfall that a container in an exposed location will. Don't water on a fixed schedule. Check each container daily and water when necessary.
Finally, it's best if outdoor containers do not sit in saucers. However, if you are trying to protect deck or porch flooring from water stains, be sure to empty the saucer after watering or after it rains so water can drain freely from the container.
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Tomato Hornworm
In spite of their ability to strip a tomato plant (or eggplant, pepper, and potato) in short order, and their large size (they reach 4"), tomato hornworms can be difficult to locate on plants due to their green coloration. You may have seen the adult moth of this garden pest in June. Known as the hawk moth or hummingbird moth, it is a powerful flyer with a wingspan of 4-5 inches. The moth is sometimes mistaken for a hummingbird because it hovers in the air while feeding on the nectar of flowers.
The hornworm has diagonal white stripes on each side of the body and a horn at the rear. Its impressive appearance makes it fun for children to collect in jars - a good non-chemical control. The biological insecticide B.t. can also be used while the caterpillars are small. The braconid wasp frequently parasitizes the hornworm, and it's not unusual to see the white cocoons attached to the caterpillar. Be sure to leave any parasitized hornworms in the garden, so that the braconid wasps can emerge and continue their beneficial activities.
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Bats
Many people still are somewhat afraid of bats flying around their property at night. Instead, they should welcome these nocturnal visitors! All but 3 kinds of bats in the United States eat insects. The other three kinds eat pollen and are important pollinators, like honeybees. A bat can eat more than 1000 mosquitoes in a single evening. Bats provide a highly effective insect control service.
People often think a bat will swoop down and get tangled in their hair. If a bat is swooping down toward you, it is to get insects that are flying near you. They are excellent fliers and will not get tangled in your hair.
Bats can be a problem if they are roosting in your house or another building. As their droppings accumulate, the odor can become objectionable. However, this is not very likely because bat populations are decreasing. Reduced insect populations and lack of suitable roosts are the cause. Many gardeners are building bat boxes to attract these insect eaters.
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Powdery Mildew on Roses
Powdery mildew is a widespread disease of roses. The disease is easily recognized by the white powdery appearance of infected leaves, twigs, and flower buds. Infected leaves may also appear distorted and fall from the plant.
Powdery mildew is favored when rainfall is low or absent, temperatures are between 70 and 80,nighttime relative humidity is high, and daytime relative humidity is low. Mildew spores can spread easily by wind to nearby healthy plants.
To control powdery mildew:
•Select powdery mildew resistant roses for planting.
•Do not crowd plants.
•Plant roses in full sunlight.
•Prune infected canes and rake and discard mildewed leaves and flowers during and after the growing season.
•Adequately fertilize roses to maintain plant vigor, but avoid excess fertilization.
•Apply a labeled fungicide (many are available at garden centers) at the first sign of mildew.
•Follow label instructions for rates and timing.
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